Britain is pushing for cuts to Baroness Ashton's European Union foreign
service at the upcoming budget summit amid growing anger she has not made
promised cost savings or delivered a properly run diplomatic corps.

Baroness Ashton, the second highest paid female politician in the worldPhoto: ANDREW CROWLEY

The cost of the Brussels civil service, including Lady Ashton European External Action Service (EEAS), will top the agenda at a two day Brussels summit that will set European spending levels for 2014 to 2020.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister will demand a reduction in the number of staff with cuts to the generous pay and perks which mean that thousands of EU officials are paid more than most European leaders.

The EU foreign service run by Lady Ashton, who is paid some £70,000 a year more than Mr Cameron, is top of the hitlist for cuts.

When becoming EU foreign minister in 2009, the Labour peer pledged that her EEAS would be "budget neutral" when it was created in 2010, meaning it would cost no extra cash to national governments.

She also promised that the EEAS, as a united diplomatic corps bringing together officials in different EU external relations departments, would lead to savings at a time when national foreign ministries were making cuts.

David Lidington, the Europe minister, has expressed Britain's dismay that the budget for the EEAS has steadily increased since its creation in 2010, with a rise in costs this year of five per cent.

"The EEAS could provide better value for money. I am against the bids for increases in the EEAS budget," he said.

"It is very important the principle, in the formal decision establishing the EEAS that it should be budget neutral, is delivered."

Britain and other governments are also angry that Lady Ashton has failed to prevent bureaucratic in-fighting and turf wars between diplomats and commission officials within the EEAS, squabbling that has hampered efficiency and blocked savings.

"The savings and greater cohesiveness that we were supposed to get from the merger of the [different EU] external services have not been fully realised - far from it," said Mr Lidington

"I think there is still evidence of an awkward relation between the EEAS and commission and it is important that it is put right."

This year Lady Ashton secured a £20 million increase taking the annual bill for European diplomats and embassies to over £437 million, at a cost to British taxpayers of £54m in EU contributions at time when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is implementing deep cuts.

More than £13 million of the increase is accounted by a rise in the £268m costs of running the EEAS's delegations, including £69m in bills for its property portfolio and luxurious diplomatic housing.

A spokesman for Lady Ashton said: "The EEAS is subject to the same economic and budgetary pressures as everyone else. We have therefore been very disciplined in making best use of the resources at start-up. We're trying to make sure that we're rational in ensuring that we're spending resources effectively."